TORRANCE -- A Gardena man was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter Monday for killing a businessman who laughed at him when the pastrami fell out of his sandwich at a Western Avenue doughnut shop.

Ronald Eugene Murray II, 26, appeared to sigh in relief as a Torrance jury first found him not guilty of second-degree murder, choosing the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter.

"The defendant got a fair trial and we got a fair verdict," Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Turk said. "I think justice is served."

Murray could have faced 15 years to life in prison if convicted of the murder charge, but will now be sentenced to a maximum of 11 years in prison at a March 4 appearance at the Torrance courthouse.

Turk said Murray punched and kicked 56-year-old New Jersey resident Mun Jang so hard on Oct. 1, 2011, that Jang died in a hospital two days later. A kick to the head proved to be the fatal blow.

Neither man knew each other, but Murray and Jang had patronized Donut King, at 15032 S. Western Ave., at 3:30 that morning. Jang, who was visiting Los Angeles on business, went for an ice cream. Murray purchased a pastrami sandwich and was particular with his order, asking for tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise, but no onions or jalapenos.

Jang, who was with a friend, watched as Murray took a bite. Some of the meat fell out, Turk said.

Jang laughed, angering Murray, who snapped, "Who you laughing at?" He became even more
upset when the clerk behind the glass refused his request for another sandwich at half-price, Turk said.

"The real focus of his anger were the people who would not give him a sandwich," Turk said. "The only person he could take his rage out on was the victim."

Prosecutors said Murray sucker-punched Jang and then punched him repeatedly, inflicting the fatal blow with a kick to the head while Jang was on the ground. He then threw the sandwich so hard into Jang's head that mayonnaise and lettuce stuck in his ear.

Some of the crime was caught on video.

Testifying on his own behalf, Murray said he wasn't trying to hurt Jang. He said he acted in self-defense after he slipped on the sandwich meat and fell to the ground. Jang, Murray testified, stood over him with a fist, so he protected himself by fighting back, Turk said.

Jurors did not believe the self-defense argument, but decided he did not commit murder. He took the beating too far, kicking a defenseless man in the head, Turk said.

"Somebody lost his life because he laughed and had a normal human reaction to something that was pretty funny," Turk said. "It could have been anybody standing there."

Deputy Public Defender Haaris Syed, who represented Murray, was not available for comment.

^^ Yep. I don't think the sentence is fitting either. Involuntary manslaughter is not for someone who killed someone while committing aggravated assault. If our justice system throws the book at these people who commit these despicable crimes maybe, just maybe.... future generations will think twice about deciding to beat someone up because they laughed at him.

It has to be clear that behavior such as this will not be tolerated in our society.

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"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Charles de Secondat"

Testifying on his own behalf, Murray said he wasn't trying to hurt Jang. He said he acted in self-defense after he slipped on the sandwich meat and fell to the ground. Jang, Murray testified, stood over him with a fist, so he protected himself by fighting back, Turk said.

This story amazes me on many levels.. self defense, the ridiculous sentence, and the fact it was over something so idiotic. I can't wait to hear OP's connection to the story

^^ Yep. I don't think the sentence is fitting either. Involuntary manslaughter is not for someone who killed someone while committing aggravated assault. If our justice system throws the book at these people who commit these despicable crimes maybe, just maybe.... future generations will think twice about deciding to beat someone up because they laughed at him.

It has to be clear that behavior such as this will not be tolerated in our society.

Youre the fucking clerk behind the counter who didnt give him a half priced sammich, huh...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mase

This story amazes me on many levels.. self defense, the ridiculous sentence, and the fact it was over something so idiotic. I can't wait to hear OP's connection to the story

The victim is my niece's husband (on my wife's side of the family).

My wife and I are the closest relatives, since we live in NorCal, and the rest of his family is in NJ or NY.

I received a phone call from the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Torrance social worker around noon on Sept. 30, 2011, asking me to come down there. I asked, "What's going on?", and again was told to just come down there. My wife and I drove down to the hospital where we found the victim in the ICU, on a respirator, with around 12 bags of drugs pumping into him to keep his heart beating. He was brain dead, and almost unrecognizable. I've never seen anyone's eyelids swollen so badly. His wife arrived the next day and to her credit, had them stop the machines and drugs. His heart stopped 2 minutes later.

We met with the police and were advised they knew who the assailant was, and they picked him up the morning of Oct. 4th. He's been in jail ever since.

The verdict of voluntary manslaughter is just incomprehensible, along with the D.A. saying the verdict was fair. She said that she talked to the jury and they said they voted the way they did because the victim lunged at the assailant after he was sucker punched and they they the assailant's self-defense mechanism kicked in. Biggest bunch of bullshit I've ever heard.

The victim's wife freaked out when she heard the verdict, as I expected her to.

Here's another kick in the pants: CA sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of 3, 6 or 11 years for voluntary manslaughter. NO other choices.

If i may, let me step in here and be the liberal voice of reason: Ban pastrami sandwiches, and ban people having hands and feet. Could you just imagine if this man dropped his pastrami in a school full of children? Won't someone think of the children!?! And don't you dare say that this man is to blame for this violent act. Clearly, fists, feet, and pastrami sandwiches are too dangerous for anyone to handle.

Now he's going to have to protect his pastrami in prision..Good luck buddy.

Yeah. I'm hoping some finds him pretty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3_runner

Holy fuck man!!! That's awful. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fresh Face

If i may, let me step in here and be the liberal voice of reason: Ban pastrami sandwiches, and ban people having hands and feet. Could you just imagine if this man dropped his pastrami in a school full of children? Won't someone think of the children!?! And don't you dare say that this man is to blame for this violent act. Clearly, fists, feet, and pastrami sandwiches are too dangerous for anyone to handle.

SHIT!! Sorry for your loss man.. Why the fuck did he get a maximum of 11 years?? Man your system is broken... unlike ours we either go kill the guy or he has so many connections that he'll probably never get one night in jail.. ok enough joking, seriously, 11 years are not fair for a guy that killed someone over a sammich

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

BMW have tapped into this by mirroring typical BMW dynamics and steering communication within the new UKL cars.

You mean massive body roll, a steering system that is not connected to the front wheels, and the engine note played through the speaker system?!?!?!?!

I'm really sorry, thats definitely not justice. How that isn't 2nd degree murder is beyond me. Many people have been convicted of more serious crimes with less direct involvement. Hopefully he gets murdered in prison.

Your niece married this 56yr old guy?
Besides this is why you shouldn't be a dick, because you don't know when some confused individual will get rage beyond death..
So basically the 26yr old beat a guy to death for laughing at him? The only mitigating factor was that the victim retaliated in response to the first punch.
10yrs is fair, anything less is not ..
Glad I'm not an Asian in white man's world.

add: needless to say if the attacker was black its many many more years

Your niece married this 56yr old guy?Besides this is why you shouldn't be a dick, because you don't know when some confused individual will get rage beyond death..
So basically the 26yr old beat a guy to death for laughing at him? The only mitigating factor was that the victim retaliated in response to the first punch.10yrs is fair, anything less is not ..
Glad I'm not an Asian in white man's world.

add: needless to say if the attacker was black its many many more years